Rita Ora Was Unrecognizable At The 2024 Fashion Awards (& Reinforced 2025's Hottest Haircuts)

The Fashion Awards never disappoint, and considering that the British event always gathers the who's who of fashion, it's not surprising that the looks we saw on Monday, December 2, in London's Royal Albert Hall seem to be foreshadowing the trends that will be huge next year. One star, in particular, wowed us with her look, and we had to do a double take to even recognize her: pop diva Rita Ora. The joint singer-actor may have been in the entertainment industry for over a decade, but her style has never been boring. Case in point: She may have landed on our list of the most inappropriate celebrity outfits of 2024, but inappropriate isn't synonymous with boring — and we always appreciate a fashion risk-taker.

For the annual fashion event, which is brought to life by the British Fashion Council, the "I Will Never Let You Down" singer nailed androgynous dressing by pairing a gray pantsuit-and-tie combo with bleached brows and ditching her long locks for a matching short, textured mullet — a haircut that will be everywhere in 2025, according to an exclusive conversation Glam had with hair and makeup artist Luna Viola. Fans were loving it, too. "[A]lways stepping up the game," one user commented on the star's Instagram post about the magical night. "You. Look. incredible," another added. Ultimately, between the "Your Song" singer's hair, makeup, and outfit, her overall look was one of the best fashion moments of the night — and potentially the year.

Rita Ora attended the event with her mother, Vera Sahatciu, and the two ladies seemingly swapped blazers, making for an interesting pair of looks. The pantsuits are part of Rita's collaboration with the fashion retailer Primark, and they will be available in Primark stores across the U.K. in 2025. Referencing this collection, one Instagram user lovingly called Rita a "punky [P]rimark princess." While the mismatched gray suit, striped button-up, and pink, polka-dotted tie each make a major statement on their own, Rita's look last night was taken to the next level thanks to her chunky, mixed-metal jewelry. When it came to bracelets and rings, Rita stuck to everyone's favorite mantra (well, except Coco Chanel): the more the merrier.

Of course, the pièce de résistance of the look was her short, shaggy hair. The mullet, which looked like a bleached pixie from the front, actually had longer and slightly darker pieces in the back, resulting in what hairstylists refer to as a mixie. "[This hairstyle] essentially brings together the short length of the pixie and the mullet's long, layered look at the back of the head," hairstylist Phoebe Friend explained to Country & Town House. "It's definitely a contemporary, edgy and creative take on the classic shape." 

Together with Rita's choice of clothing, the entire look was very reminiscent of the '80s punk-rock scene but with lots of modern details — fellow singer Bebe Rexha even commented on Rita's Instagram post that we need a rock album to accompany the look — and it made us excited to see not only what the pop star's closet has in store for us next year but also how 2025's hair trends will evolve now that Rita's kicked them off early.

Now, if you can't get enough Rita, read up on how she's one of the only celebrities who can successfully pull off the Canadian-tuxedo look.